How to Choose the Best Mechanical Keyboard for Gaming or Work

Here we’re discussing the considerations factor into picking the best mechanical keyboard for your purposes and preferences. Perhaps you’re gaming at a level where a mere two millimeters of actuation can make the difference between failure or success. Or, you want a keyboard that gets you through the workday and wondering if a mechanical switch keyboard is a good fit.

Mass-market membrane or dome switch keyboards are cheap and abundant (they’re the types you see as the stock option on millions of generic laptops and desktop setups), but they won’t perform to pro gamer standards.

Most mechanical keyboards have longer lifespans, a smaller actuation requirement to register a keystroke, and better auditory and tactile feedback.

The right mechanical keyboard could give you the edge you need whether you’re gaming, streaming, writing, or programming.

Imagine a keyboard that registers your input in half the time, gives you a satisfying click and tactile feedback with every stroke, and lasts you 50 or 60 million keystrokes! It sounds like a dream, but it’s not—mechanical keyboards can give you that experience at a budget, moderate, or pro price point.

You’d benefit from buying a mechanical keyboard if you’re going to use it for competitive gaming, live streaming, programming, or even general use for school and work.

What Makes a Mechanical Keyboard Different?

These switches have a great tactile response that won’t leave you blue

A mechanical keyboard contains a three-part switch underneath each key. Operating the switches by entering keystrokes creates a tactile and auditory experience, physical feedback that increases performance and lessens errors.

Mechanical keyboards outpace run-of-the-mill keyboards with major differences in durability, feel, N-key rollover, and ability to maintain.

These keyboards tend to last longer than ordinary keyboards—instead of rubber domes or membranes, metal contact points take the brunt of each command. That means your keys can take tens of millions more presses before they start to fail or stick.

We have thousands of Keyboards waiting for you

Why Use a Mechanical Keyboard?

Anyone can use a mechanical keyboard for work, school, or home, but these keyboards are a top choice for professional gamers, live streamers, coders and developers, and writers.

You should use a mechanical keyboard if you:

• Want a durable, long-lasting keyboard
• Prefer to feel and hear your typing
• Use a lot of multi-key shortcuts or combos
• Are willing to do regular (easy) maintenance in exchange for the best keyboard experience

Plenty of people use mechanical keyboards because they prefer the feel and sound. Metal contact points create a pleasing instant feedback sensation to the touch and to the ear. The clickety clack of a good mechanical keyboard is rewarding enough to reinforce good performance and keep your error rate low.

High N-key rollover means that you can press as many keys as you want and expect all of them to register.

N-sane in the membrane

Most USB membrane keyboards (the kind you’ll find on budget computing setups) have a 6-key rollover, which can be limiting for complex combos. With a mechanical keyboard, you could mash every key simultaneously and your operating system would see every single command!

Finally, mechanical keyboards have the potential to last much, much longer than common membrane keyboards because they’re maintainable.

A keyboard that’s never been dismantled and sanitized is less responsive, more sticky, and short-lived. Doing weekly and daily maintenance ensures your keyboard is responsive and lasts its full potential. Luckily, mechanical keyboards are easy to take apart, clean, and sanitize regularly.

Keep your keyboard tidy between deep cleans with a Cordless Air Duster

Mechanical Keyboard Form Factors

You’ll see that mechanical keyboards have a great deal of options and specifications that can vary a lot from one model to the next.

It’s not really enough to know that you want a mechanical keyboard—before you start your search, think about what you want to do with your keyboard on a daily basis. Use your response to that jumping-off point to guide your choices as you search for the best keyboard for your unique needs.

Key Switches

The switches themselves are a defining factor in a mechanical keyboard, including the switch type, actuation, and reset points.

For instance:

• Switches can be tactile (moderately noisy, the most common type), linear (the quietest type), or clicky (the loudest of the trio).
• The actuation is the distance in millimeters that a keycap must depress before it triggers the switch; look for 0 mm for a good balance between responsive and accurate keystrokes.
• The reset point is the distance the key travels on the way back up after actuation–the closer together those points are, the more effortlessly you can “float” rapid successive keystrokes.

Aluminum vs. Plastic Build

Ready to ROG and Rollover

Aluminum and plastic are the two most common build materials for keyboard casings and keycaps.

The plastic materials that are most commonly used on keycaps include ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) and PBT (polybutylene terephthalate).

ABS is a budget material that feels slick and develops a greasy texture after regular use. PBT is more durable and has an appealing texture, and the quality is generally a step above most ABS keycaps.

Both materials also appear in keyboard casings often, too. Polycarbonate (PC) is another material that’s used in casings because of its durability and low cost.

Finally, aluminum is a solid, heavy material that’s the most durable you’ll find when it comes to consumer models. Anodized aluminum has been acid treated to resist corrosion and last longer, and it’s often sharper-looking, too.

Customization Firmware

You can get even more from your keyboard purchase if you choose one that supports as much individualized choice as possible within the settings. At the minimum, you should look for a keyboard with firmware that lets you:

• Set custom key placements
• Create macros
• Customize lighting

Keyboard Size

MSI love a good mechanical keyboard

Almost all the mechanical keyboards you encounter are full-sized keyboards with 104 keys (give or take a few specialty keys).

If you’re looking to go compact and ditch the keys you use the least often, these specialty sizes exist:

• Tenkeyless or TKL (87 keys)
• 60% (68 keys)
• Nonstandard sizes (75%, 65%, 40%)

It’s fairly easy to find TKL mechanical keyboards, but the other sizes are rare to the point where you probably won’t ever find one in the wild. (The wild being the electronics trade, both retail and pre-owned).

Macro Pad

You can get away with programming the numpad on your full-sized keyboard with your most-used macros, but a macro pad is easier and more versatile (and you can put it on the left, which is the more intuitive position).

Macro pads are usually USB keyboards with just 6 to 10 keys including numerals. They’re used widely for assigning command strings and data entry.

You might want to add a macro pad to your purchase if you rely heavily on macros, such as people who are livestreamers, video editors, or programmers.

What Do MX Switch Colors Mean?

Switches come in six colors:

• Red
• Blue
• Brown

• Black
• Green
• Clear

Red and black switches are linear, which means they are quiet, feel smooth, and respond well to long, fast streams of rapidfire commands. If you need a seamless response and prefer not to hear or feel your keystrokes too much, then linear could be the right choice for you. These colors are the top choices of pro gamers and live streamers.

Seeing red

Blue and green switches are clicky, which is the kind with the most responsive bump and the biggest tactile and auditory input. The loud feedback of these switches helps improve keystroke accuracy, making blue and green switches the top choice of writers, coders, and data professionals.

Brown and clear switches are tactile, with a medium amount of sound and physical sensation under each keystroke. There’s a noticeable bump as you activate each keystroke, but not so much as to interfere with your speed or multitasking. These switches are preferred by users new to mechanical keyboards, for general use such as school or work, or casual to high-level gamers.

Optional Features and Extras

Of course, shopping for mechanical keyboards goes beyond picking the right switch color. Depending on what you plan to use it for, there are many optional features that can take your typing experience above and beyond.

Need to type quietly? Work more ergonomically? Prefer a certain tactile experience? There’s a keyboard out there with the features you need. It doesn’t matter how picky of a gamer or typist you are, there’s a super-specialized mechanical keyboard out there that has you covered.

Find the Gaming Keyboard that’s right for your rig.

Hot Swappable Design

A hot swappable mechanical keyboard is an option if you’re on the fence about different switch types and want to try out different styles.

With this type of keyboard design, the switches aren’t soldered into place, so they can be easily removed (a simple press or push loosens the hold so you can lift it out of place like a keycap) and replaced.

If you try out blue switches and find that they give you a migraine, it’s effortless to switch (get it?) to a quieter, smoother red setup without springing for a new keyboard.

Bluetooth Connectivity

This feature isn’t for everybody, but consider Bluetooth connectivity if you want a mobile setup with no cords. Plan to shuffle your desktop configuration around often? Bluetooth makes sure your keyboard placement isn’t tied to a cord’s length.

Bluetooth doesn’t bite

Note, though, that wired connections are much more reliable and quick than Bluetooth connections. A Bluetooth mechanical keyboard comes at the cost of added latency and lag. If you need every keystroke to land precisely, then stick to a wired connection.

Lubricated Stabilizers

Choose a model that has accessible stabilizers so you can maintain them with lubricant. Your keyboard will probably arrive pre-greased, but you’ll want to periodically access the stabilizers yourself to add some glide. This prolongs the life and performance of your keyboard.

PBT Keycaps

Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) keycaps are a premium plastic-like polymer that is lightweight, but also very rigid and wear-proof.

Unlike the greasy, shiny look of ABT keycaps, PBT has a textured matte finish that’s pleasing to the touch. It’s also louder and feels heavier under your fingers.

Adjustable Incline Angle

Ergonomic keyboards include an adjustable incline angle to reduce repetitive stress injury and support your wrists properly.

This is a feature that any user should consider. No matter who you are, you (probably) have wrists that you want to protect.

Top Brands for Mechanical Keyboards

Mechanical keyboard users have strong brand loyalty, and for good reason. Some of the top brands sell mechanical keyboards that truly feel like they were built for you, even if it’s a stock model with no customizations.

The best brands for mechanical keyboards use high quality materials, most-asked-for features, and precise craftsmanship to create a real experience every time you sit down at your battle station.

Some of the best brands of mechanical keyboards include:

• • Das Keyboard

  • Drop
  • Rosewill

  • Razer

• • Logitech
  • CHERRY Americas
  • HK Gaming